Fashion Friday: Workout Gear On A Budget

I’m finally headed home today…back to reality. But hey, it IS Fashion Friday and all, so I have a great post ready for you all. Kristine is just like me when it comes to workout gear: she wants good stuff, but she can’t spend a fortune on it.

Today, Kristine shares with you all some of her favorite workout pieces, all for a great price! Enjoy!

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Hi everyone! I’m Kristine and I blog over at Running on Hungry. I am a huge fan of fashion and fitness and an even bigger fan of scoring a great deal on clothes; so when Courtney asked for some ideas for a “Fashion Friday” post, I jumped at the chance to help out!

Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life was one of the first blogs I started reading. I found that I could really relate to Courtney and really enjoyed reading all that she had to say. I loved her recipes, found myself quickly becoming a cat person because of Cody, and became addicted to cereal combo bowls! I also share her love of shopping while being mindful of the wallet.

Ahh champagne taste on a beer budget.

I typically work out 6-days a week and I look for workout attire and gear that is functional, fashionable, and wallet-friendly.

I love Lululemon as much as the next girl, but quite frankly their $98 yoga pants don’t exactly fit into my budget! (Me either, Kristine…me either!)

Tops

If you’re like me, you sweat a lot when you work out. I need tops that will wick away the sweat without becoming soaked and weighing me down.

My picks?

The Champion Empire Waist Tankis a great choice. I’m actually wearing one as I sit here writing! It’s long, extremely flattering, and just a bit loose for when you’re not in the mood for skin-tight. It has a built in sports bra, is seamless and seriously wicks moisture. It’s also on-sale for $17.99.

Nike Dri-Fit tanks are some of my workout essentials – both of these can be found for less than $30/piece and are both functional, flattering, and at a great price. I completed my latest 1/2 Marathon in the Fast-Pace tank and was extremely comfortable (and not soaked!) the entire time.

For lower-intensity workouts, the Dri-Fit Ribbed Tank from Nike is adorable, sweat-wicking, and wearable enough to grab a coffee, lunch, run errands, etc.

Bottoms

Nike Tempo Shorts – I have “athletic” legs and these are the only shorts I have found that don’t ride up when I run, or make that awkward bunching in the you-know-where. They come in just about every color combination imaginable and retail for about $28 but can be frequently found on sale for as little as $15.99.

Under Armour Compression Running Capri - Under Armour makes a great capri that I think is pretty under-rated. They know compression wear better than most companies I’ve tried out. The capris stay tight while you workout, and hold you in so you get that great run that you’re looking for. These go for about ~$45.00 - a bit pricier than most, but will last you quite a while.

Puma Fitness Shoulder Bag – I actually just bought this bag after I was salivating over the Lululemon Hot Yoga Hobo for a good 35 minutes. At $35.00, it’s a steal. It still has the cross-body look that takes a lot of pressure off of your shoulders and back and looks sleek, stylish, and big enough to tote all your gear to and from the gym, yoga studio, etc.

In case you have some time for online shopping, some of the best deals can be found at:

MyCoupons.com is a great “one stop shop” kind of website when you’re looking for online or printable coupons when shopping for workout gear. I’ve been able to score some great deals for Old Navy, Kohl’s, Gap, and Athleta coupons, too. It’s definitely worth taking a look!

Hope you enjoyed my version of “Fashion Friday!”

Thank you Courtney for letting me guest post – hope you are having a blast on your vacation!

I’m in desperate need of new workout clothes. I usually wear Nike running shorts, but I run in all my sorority tank tops that I don’t usually wear. Which is fine, but I find actual workout tops adorable. I’m going to have to grab the Champion tank! Under $20, yes please!

I’m not loyal to any particular brand, but I have my favorites. Under Armour and Nike are my go-tos. I’ve found some great (and cheap) stuff at Kohls. I have 1 pair of Lululemon black yoga pants and, while expensive, I feel like I’ve gotten my money’s worth because I wear them ALL the time and they still look great. I’ve also scored some great deals on sites such as Hautelook – today, for example, they have New Balance workout gear at crazy cheap prices.

I get most of my running gear from Nike.com’s clearance. They send out email blasts every once in a while with crazy deals, like 40% off your entire order (INCLUDING SALE!!) Be on a lookout for those, especially around the holidays.

Loyal to Nike, even though I WISH I could be loyal to Lululemon. Damn fancy brand name workout attire. erg…

Great post Kristine! I love finding discount workout clothes since I’m always on a tight budget (leaves more room for blowing it at Whole Foods…). I’ll definitely be checking out some of those websites! One of the things I always do, no matter what site I’m shopping at, is do a Google (or Yahoo, I don’t discriminate) search with the website’s name and “coupon code” or “promo code” to see if anything’s swirling around the Internet that I’m not aware of :).

I’m lucky enough to live close to the lululemon outlet in NY so I definitely hit that up at least 3 times a year to buy as much as possible But, my normal go to’s are places like TJ Maxx and Marshalls for the same Nike and Under Armour stuff but at discounted prices. I’d say about 60% of my workout wear is from those stores.

The empire waist tops from Champion are my favorite! I have them in four colors! The last time I was on Champion’s site though they didn’t have a lot of colors left Note though that Target does sell Champion and I found some of those tops there too! No shipping-yay!

If you like running skirts Nike has some of the best, in my opinion…I just got the set point flirty tennis skirt (which I use for running) and it’s awesome! So flattering and cute and it stayed down even in the wind haha

I get my workout gear from different places… Target, Sports Authority, TJ Maxx, etc. A lot of what I wear is old high school stuff, too (yeah, I should probably do a revamp of my workout clothes soon, haha). I really like Adidas and Under Armour just because they fit me well and are comfortable. I really want some Lululemon stuff, though. Maybe when I when the lottery.

i have to admit, i’m a lululemon junkie. i practically live in them–even when not working out, so i consider it a great investment ;p but i do love nike workout stuff too i have recently fallen in love w/the tempo shorts (now that i know to buy them in a bigger size–much more comfy for me and my big toosh ;p)

I just bought 2 of those champion tanks, and also a pair of Nike running tights on sale for $27 at Macys! I am pretty loyal to those to brands. Champion is always cheap and Nike can usually be found on sale!

I just realized I didn’t add this – For all those Lululemon lovers that still shop on a budget like myself… each store operates as a “franchise” so they decide when and how much to mark down their clothes – so you never know what deals you may find on their (one) sale rack! I once stumbled upon an ENTIRE sale rack of everything from pants to jackets to tanks priced at $29 a piece. Christmas came early that year!

Target, believe it or not, has the best running/exercising gear. They have great colorful sports bras, non-built in bra colorful tanks that dry sweat quickly and wondeful jackets for running in during that colder weather. All for very cheap! Plus, Target is always having a sale on something.

This post came at exactly the right time!! I have just began a workout program of my own and have been wanting to get some nice and functional clothes for when I work out. Thanks for this! Great timing!
-Sarah
fitango.com

Though it’s expensive I love to buy at LuluLemon, I just can’t go anywhere else b/c I know it will last forever. The fit and quality is amazing so I feel like I’m stretching my dollar since I get so much wear out of it

I hate spending money on workout clothes too but like to look cute so I usually buy the Victorias secret cute workout pants when I have a coupon or their on sale. The ones with the cute designs at the waist.